by Emily Selby
'How long is this going to take? We've been waiting here for twenty minutes!' She waved the hand holding a mobile phone in front of Katie. 'They need me in hospital, I've got a job to go to. I can't spend the whole day waiting here.'
'Good morning, ladies,' Katie said carefully, her heart beating fast. 'Are you here to see inspector Heaton?'
'Yes, and I want to see him right now,' Sofia replied, her eyes piercing Katie. 'Otherwise,' she lifted the rhinestone-studded mobile phone and waved it right in Katie's face. 'I am calling my lawyer,' she pronounced the last two words louder.
Katie stepped back, staring at the phone. The last thing she wanted was to end up with all these sharp rhinestones scratching her face. 'I'll tell him you're here right away.'
Katie sneaked back to the staff room, but it was empty. She dialled Jack's number. Luckily, he answered straightaway.
'Chiara and Sofia Parker are here for you. Sofia's in a bad mood and threatening to call her lawyer. I'd rather avoid another row,' Katie said controlling her voice to come across calm, but firm. 'Where are you now?'
'Just across the hallway. In the boss' office. I'll be with them in a minute.'
'Thanks, Jack, and,' she hesitated, 'just one thing. It's a hunch though.'
She could hear him sucking in his breath. 'What is it?' he asked.
'Her phone. She has a different phone today. It's the same one she had that night I met her for the first time. But she had a different phone when she was in the crafts room. Remember that day?'
'Yeah, vaguely. What's that all about?' A hint of impatience coloured his voice.
'She has a fancy phone in a fancy case, all glittery and shiny. You may see it when you interview her. And she's also got a completely plain one.'
There was a pause. Katie wondered what he was thinking.
'Katie,' Jack said in a way that made her wonder if he was trying not to grind his teeth. 'Lots of people these days have more than one phone. For example, one - personal and one for work. Hospitals often issue their senior staff a mobile phone.'
Katie felt like a deflated balloon. Embarrassment spread in a hot, sticky wave from the top of her head, down. What a fool she’d made of herself!
She retreated back to her office and buried herself in her work.
Katie was getting ready to leave, when someone knocked on her door again.
'Come in!' she called.
The door opened, and Jack walked in. His face was difficult to read.
'I see you're about to leave, I'll only take a few minutes. I have a couple of questions.'
An odd way to ask if she had time, but hey-this was a double murder investigation. She nodded.
The pen we found stuck in Zac's neck, when did you last use it?'
'As I said before, I last used it to make Easter cards. And I did it last minute, so it must have been early April.'
Jack nodded.
'Could anyone use it afterwards?'
'As I explained to Inspector Lumley, I didn't see anyone use it, but any member of our club could have taken it from my storage box.'
'I've had a report that a person was seen using your pen sometime in May.'
'In May? Who was it? How come? What for?' Katie's rattled off, her head spinning.
'Apparently Chiara and Sofia Parker saw a young woman using it to make a card.'
'Ah, that!' she remembered the scene from the last Club meeting. 'Yes, they told me about it. But this must have happened in March. Before I used it.'
'Are you sure?'
Katie blinked. Was she sure?
'The person was making a Mother’s Day card. Mothering Sunday this year was a few weeks before Easter. I remember that because I had to make cards for both occasions, which is why I was late with my Easter cards.'
'That's strange,' Jack said, his blue eyes piercing through her.
Katie wriggled. 'Why?'
'Because we found a set of fingerprints over yours. Not under.'
Blood drained from Katie's face. 'Was the killer a member of our Club, you think?'
Jack ruffled his hair. 'It's complicated. We only found those two sets of prints on your pen. Having said that, the pen was not quite the murder weapon. According to the forensic team, Zac was stunned, and when he collapsed, a large needle was inserted into his jugular, very likely delivering the first dose of the poison. Your pen, containing added poison was inserted afterwards. Zac died before he regained consciousness. We haven't found the needle or the syringe yet, and the pen is the only object with clear prints.'
'What about the vials?'
'Still unclear.'
Katie's hand wandered to the rogue strand of hair. As usual, she tucked it behind her ear and started twirling. Somehow, it helped her think.
'Did Chiara or Sofia tell you who they saw with my pen?'
'Yes. I quote "That pretty Polish girl". Do you know who they meant?'
Katie inhaled sharply.
'The only person I can think who fits this description is Zuza, but I'm sure it was completely innocent,' she babbled on, a hot wave creeping onto her face.
Zuza?
'Ah, Zac’s girlfriend. I remember that. There was nothing suspicious in her accounts. Apparently, the relationship was good, no major arguments. Probably not going entirely the way she would want to progress, but she denied having major issues with Zac or their relationship. From what I understand, neither Zac, nor Zuza were particularly committed to the relationship. She spent that weekend with a friend, who confirmed her alibi.'
Katie's jaw dropped. This wasn't quite her understanding of her chat with Zuza a few days ago. Did Zuza lie to the police? Or to her? Should she tell Jack about it? But how? She wasn't sure anymore if she remembered it all well...
'Do you want me to ask around if anyone saw my pen being used and by whom?' Katie asked, trying to recall her conversation with sobbing Zuza. She'd better check with her again.
'No. At this stage, I'm thinking of bringing the girlfriend back for another interview. But let me know if you hear anything.'
Katie nodded absentmindedly. She would pop in to see if Zuza was at work, in the pub on her way home. The pub should be open for lunch.
'I've heard you can transcribe tapes. Here's mine,' he carried on and put a tape on her desk. Katie glanced at it.
'When do you need it for?'
'Before the end of the week.'
'Okay,' she answered mechanically.
'Oh, one more thing, Katie,' Jack said with his hand on the handle. 'You can go back to your flat this afternoon. We've finished with it. Do you have someone to stay with in case you don’t feel comfortable tonight?'
Katie thought of Michelle and Kevin. She was sure they wouldn't mind if she stayed for another night, but she was very keen to get back to her own flat.
'I'll be fine, thanks.' She snapped back into the here and now. 'Speaking of this evening,' Katie added. 'I've got nothing to do, I can come in and transcribe the interview, so you have it ASAP.'
'No rush, Katie. But thank you.'
She'd do it this evening. She was dying to hear what Chiara and Sofia had said. But even more, she wanted to know if Zuza lied to her or the police, and why.
21
The moment she walked out of her office, Katie had a clear direction in mind. First - The Royal Oak. Happy to have finished covering at Willow Park, she had the whole afternoon at her disposal. Which, although tough on her finances, was great, because she had time to find a way to broach the subject with Zuza. She couldn't just ask her why she'd lied to the police. She needed a plan.
She climbed into her car with an idea, and by the time she reached the pub, she knew what and how she was going to proceed.
Luckily for Katie, Zuza was behind the bar this lunchtime. The pub was starting to fill up. If she wanted to keep it casual and, above all, discreet, Katie didn't have much time to conduct her undercover interview.
'Hi, Zuza, good to see you again. How are you?'
'Much better than
the last time you saw me.' The barmaid indeed, looked much better. No dark circles under her eyes, no scruffy hair. 'What can I get you?'
'Nothing. Just wanted to check how you are. You didn't come to our last meeting at the Club.'
'Yes, sorry,' Zuza replied with a shudder. 'I've not been really in a mood for crafts.'
'I find it a good distraction from all the grim things going on in town lately.'
'You're right. It helps. It makes you feel happier. Maybe I should do something positive. Like create "Thank You" cards for all my friends who have been supporting me.'
Katie jumped on the opportunity. 'Great idea. Let me know if you want access to the club. You know you can use it outside the normal meeting hours?' she probed gently.
'Yes. And I have.'
This is a good start.
'When did you last work on a card?'
Zuza squinted her big blue eyes. 'I tried making a card for Mother's Day. But I didn't finish it.'
Aha!
'That was back in March?'
'No, in May. Mother's Day in Poland is on the 26th of May.'
Aha... So, it was in May. Sofia was right.
'What sort of card did you make?'
Zuza flicked her blond curls back and nodded at someone behind Katie's back. 'I tried those fancy hand-writing. I used you pen. I hope you don't mind.'
Katie sucked in breath, and she gave herself a mental nudge to keep her body language under control.
'No, of course not.' She shrugged. 'I've said it's okay for people to use my tools, as long as they return them.'
Zuza's pretty face flinched. 'Yeah, I'm sorry. I think I might have lost your pen. I came back a week later, on my day off, wanting to finish the card, but I couldn't find the pen anymore.'
'Did you tell the police about it?'
A flicker of fear appeared in Zuza's eyes. 'No... I forgot. I-I...'
'Did they ask you about the pen? Do you know that the pen was used-'
'Yes, I do,' Zuza interrupted, her face tense. 'I just didn't recognise it back then when they showed me the photo of it. I forgot completely about card making, I kept thinking about... about all sorts of things to do with Zac, and...' Her voice trailed off. Tears glistened in her eyes, threatening to fall.
Katie opened her mouth. Questions were swirling in her head. Which one should she ask first?
'Two coffees to go, please?' Someone called out and Zuza's snapped back into her role.
'Please, take a seat. I'll get them for you,' Zuza replied and busied herself with the coffee machine.
Katie chewed on her cheek, considering her next move.
'I think you need to tell them about it,' Katie said after Zuza finished serving the coffee. 'That you used the pen, but it disappeared later.'
'They'll think I took it to kill Zac!' Zuza glared back at her.
'Why would they? They haven't suspected you so far...'
Zuza froze. Her mouth trembled. Tears glistened in her eyes again. She leant on the counter.
'I didn't really tell them everything, you see...'
'What didn't you tell them?'
'About the argument we had the day he died.'
'You suspected he had another girlfriend, didn't you?' Katie remembered. That was a trail she’d yet to explore. 'Did you tell them about that?'
Zuza's eyes widened. She shot a quick glance around. 'How do you know? Did I tell you that?'
Katie nodded. 'You were very upset that day.'
Zuza sighed heavily. 'I didn't tell the police. I didn't want to sound like a crazy girlfriend with a motive to kill him,' she said so quietly, Katie had to lean closer to hear. 'But I've been thinking about it. I've checked his Facebook account. I spent all evening the other day going through his photos. Most of them with his mates. A lot of cars. Nothing. Maybe, he was just trying to make me feel jealous.'
'No girls at all?'
'I know. Strange. He was a good-looking man. There were always a lot of girls around him. But he always seemed more interested in his stupid car races than in girls. So, I've learnt to live with it. He seemed interested enough in me, and I was happy. Until this summer. I could feel something was going on. But apart from the lipstick smudged t-shirt nothing.'
Zuza looked away and wiped her eyes with a tissue.
'No other proof?'
'No.'
'The person with the lipstick might be important to the investigation,' Katie said cautiously. 'Do you know who else might know? Have you checked with his mates? Are you in touch with them?'
'One or two. We're friends on Facebook. Do you think I should contact them and ask if they knew of this other woman?'
'Only if you feel comfortable doing so. And you should definitely talk to the police.'
'Do you think this could help find Zac's murderer?'
'Yes, I do. I also think it could help you to come to terms with what happened.'
As well as clarify if you're guilty or not.
'I know he wasn't perfect, he had anger issues, often got into fights. He might have done some illegal stuff. He nearly assaulted me once, but I was in love with him. Most of the time, he was funny, caring and cute. He loved his grandma. He was a person who was loved. I don't want for his murderer to-you know–'
'To get away with it?' Katie suggested. 'You're right. Murder is wrong, and justice needs to be served, properly dealt with.'
'Yes. I wanted to say that I'm not doing it for myself. I don't care if he had another girlfriend. I just think that someone killing another person should be punished. I will talk to the police,' Zuza said solemnly. As soon as I have an opportunity.'
Katie forced her lips into a smile. She had a hunch that an opportunity like this would appear very soon, and it might not be in Zuza's control.
Katie left the pub with even more questions. But maybe the interview she was about to type up would answer some of them.
22
Katie sneaked back into her office, grabbing the spare key to her house from her cubbyhole and a fresh cup of tea from the staff room on the way. With Jack's tape and the dusty typing equipment ready, she sat at the desk ready to dive in. It took her a while to get used to the process again, but halfway through the cup of tea she was able to listen to the tape and operate the machine.
It was actually hard to process the information as she was typing, and she had to keep pausing and rerunning some passages.
After all parties had introduced themselves and Jack made his comments about this being an informal interview, Sofia launched into a tirade about wasting time. She insisted she and her mother be interviewed together.
'My mother is in poor health. As you can see, she's in the wheelchair. She needs emotional support. This has been a very stressful time for us.'
Initially, Jack tried to insist on the women being interviewed separately but eventually, he gave in.
'However, if I have any further questions, I'd like to get back to you individually,' he said.
He proceeded to ask them about their connection to the abandoned house.
It was interesting to hear how he manoeuvred the information. He only had to hint at things and get Chiara and Sofia to talk.
'So, you're staying in the family house. This is not the house at 1, Stream Drive?'
‘No, that house is uninhabitable. It's a ruin, Inspector.'
'Since when?'
Chiara replied. Her voice was weak. Katie had to re-run all she said a couple of times before she could catch the words.
'It's been several years, Inspector. At least fifty, I’d say. My mother moved out and went to live with her new husband when I was... about six or seven.'
'Has anybody lived in the house since?'
'Not to my knowledge. Only a part of the house was finished. My parents were planning further works, but the money ran out. It was left in that state, unfinished.'
'Was anything valuable left in the house?'
'Not to my knowledge. I'm sure if there were any things, they would have
gone by now. My family, my mother's family, that is, are not well-off. And I'm afraid when my father died, the Marino side of the family were not particularly supportive. My father left a number of debts, my mother couldn't work with two little children in tow. You see, Inspector, back then suicide was a shame on the family. Particularly for a Catholic family like mine. We are Italian. These things mattered.'
Chiara spoke weakly, but her words were careful. She seemed open about her past, yet measured. Katie wondered, whether she had rehearsed her answers.
'I'm very sorry to hear about your father's situation. How old were you when it happened?'
'I must protest, Inspector!’ Sophia interrupted. 'These things have nothing to do with the house. You wanted to know about the old house, let's talk about that. Please, don't traumatise my poor, sick mother with your questions. Why are you even asking us about this old house? What's the connection between it and your investigations? Murder investigations, I understand.'
'Indeed, Ms Parker. There have been two murders in the last weeks. One of the victims, Ash Stanley, appeared to have a certain connection with that old house. Can you tell me anything about that connection?'
There was a long silence. Katie could only guess Chiara and Sofia might have exchange glances. Jack probably watched them carefully. After a while Sofia asked in a clipped voice.
'Can you please rephrase your question? I'm not sure I'm following.'
'Did you know Ash Stanley?'
'Yes,' Sofia continued in the clipped voice. 'We've both met him. Not a pleasant man.'
'Oh, Sofia, darling, he was an awful, awful man. All of them were,' Chiara cut in, with her trembling voice, brimming with pain. Katie's skin crawled. Chiara must have been deeply traumatised by her interactions with Ash Stanley and his family.
'In what way was he awful? Did he make any threats?' Jack continued in a very matter-of-fact way.
'No, he didn't,' Sofia replied, calmly, while someone, presumably Chiara was blowing her nose in the background. 'But I understand my mother had some unpleasant memories of the Stanley family as a child. These are old things though, Inspector, and very painful for my mother. If possible, please, don't go there. I'll try to answer whatever questions I may.